Lamor Whitehead Convicted of Fraud in Latest Verdict
The ‘Bling Bishop’ stands convicted of five federal crimes but will appeal the verdict.
Lamor Whitehead, leader of a church in Brooklyn, New York, was convicted of five federal crimes March 11, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The counts include wire fraud, extortion of a congregant, and making false statements to federal law enforcement agents.
Lamor Whitehead maintains his innocence in this video from Tue., March 12, 2024 / Video screenshot
“Whitehead’s reprehensible lies and criminal conduct have caught up with him, as he now stands convicted of five federal crimes and faces time in prison,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.
According to the statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Whitehead “induced one of his parishioners to invest approximately $90,000 of her retirement savings with him by promising to use the money to help her buy a home.” Whitehead went on to spend the money on luxury goods.
Moreover, Whitehead convinced a businessman to lend him $500,000 and a “favorable stake in a certain real estate transaction” in return for favors from the mayor of New York City. Additionally, the prosperity preacher fabricated bank statements that falsely claimed he had millions of dollars in the bank, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars of monthly revenue, for a $250,000 business loan. Lastly, Whitehead lied to FBI agents who were executing a search warrant outside the pastor’s mansion in New Jersey.
The pastor and founder of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries, sometimes referred to as the ‘Bling Bishop,’ is known for his extravagant lifestyle and has been accused of misconduct in the past.
Whitehead took to Instagram the morning after the verdict, pleading his innocence and vowing to fight back.
“This trial was just another round in the fight, but the fight is not over y’all…Stop listening to social media and do your own research,” Whitehead said in the 10-minute video he posted on Instagram, as he sat in his Rolls Royce. “I stand on my innocence. I’m innocent of all charges.”
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In the video, Whitehead pleads his innocence concerning the altercation he had with the FBI at his private residence in New Jersey, where he refused to comply with a search warrant for his phone. Whitehead claims that the FBI were politically motivated when they approached him, hoping to use the pastor as a federal informant against the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams.
“Keep me in your prayers. God is the greatest, and I want you to know that I am innocent,” Whitehead said at the end of the video.
Whitehead failed to address the other charges against him in the video.
The son of Pauline Anderson, the parishioner defrauded by Whitehead, appeared on NBC New York news where he expressed his gratitude that the ‘Bling Bishop’ was brought to justice.
“It’s been a long time coming and we are very happy to see that the verdict was guilty today,” Anderson’s son, Rasheed, said on camera.
Whitehead, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, faces up to 45 years in prison with his sentence scheduled for July 1.
